Embodiments of inventive concepts disclosed herein relate the field of antenna arrays including but not limited to, phased array antenna systems or electronically scanned array (ESA) antenna systems, such as active electronically scanned array (AESA) antenna systems having space feeds.
Antenna arrays can provide improved antenna performance by allowing control of phase (or relative time delay) and relative amplitude of the signal associated with each antenna element in an antenna array. By adjusting signal phase and/or relative amplitude of separate antenna elements, information redundancy in signals associated with distinct antenna elements can be used to form a desired beam signal. Space feeds can be used to provide a radiative wireless connection between a single feed point radiator and each channel or antenna element of an AESA. Conventional space feeds can be used to achieve lower radiated side lobe levels from an antenna array at the expense of aperture gain and feed spillover loss (by extension, illumination efficiency).